Unexpected
by i-forgot-my-name
Summary: Steph and Morelli have been taking a break for a while now. Ranger has been gone for a while now. Ranger comes back with an unexpected person who has to rent out Steph’s couch. Steph finds out some interesting things about Ranger while they go, and Morell
1. Chapter 1

**Tittle: Unexpected**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of the characters from Janet Evanovich's books.

**Summary: **Steph and Morelli have been taking a break for a while now. Ranger has been gone for a while now. Ranger comes back with an unexpected person who has to rent out Steph's couch. Steph finds out some interesting things about Ranger while they go, and Morelli makes one hell of a mistake. (set after ten big ones).

**Authors Note:** decided to go through this story again, might end up changing it, sorry to those of you who liked it before, but I just don't like how it ended up at a road block for me.

**Chapter One: He's back**

I walked into the office to find Connie and Lula already there, enjoying a fresh batch of donuts. They saw me come in, and they had big smiles plastered on their faces.

"What?" I asked them. They seemed weirdly happy, they were only ever this happy when Ranger was in the office, and he wasn't here.

"Rangers back," Lula said with a lot of enthusiasm. Ranger had been gone on business for around three months now. A lot had happened in three months.

To start off with, I'd blown up another car, with the Buick sitting ten metres away, completely un scratched, I'd finally gotten my apartment back off of my sister, who was now living with her future husband and three kids in a house that actually fitted them. And last but not least, Morelli and I were having a break, a long break. This break had lasted two and a half months, that's too long. We of course saw each other from time to time, not dating anybody else, like an unspoken rule or something. He'd tried at least three times a week to get me back into his bed; I'd given in a few times, but not much, not completely until he stopped trying to change me.

"When?" I asked, trying not to sound too excited.

"He was in a few minutes ago, he said to tell you when you got in to call him," Lula almost sang the last part to me. "I think I'd have an orgasm on the spot if he told me to call him," she added.

I wasn't sure how I felt about Ranger being back, I think I was happy, more excited. And him wanting me to call him, that could mean anything, but I really wanted to know what it was about.

"Got any new skips?" I asked Connie. I really needed money, so I really needed to get a few FTA's.

"Give her the drug dealer one that we just got," Lula told Connie as Connie searched her desk. "It's real good, this guy's got a bond out for a hundred thousand big ones," Lula told me.

My head was spinning; I'd get $10,000 if I caught this guy. I really needed that money.

Connie found the file and opened it. "Aaron Duke, 24 year old male, living with his parents in the Burg, neither of them will be home, on some holiday or something, not armed at arrest, first time offender. Easy ten grand going your way," Connie told me as she handed me the file.

Lula was standing there, excitement bursting out of her. "You coming?" I asked her. How could I not have?

"Fuckin' A, I gotta protect your skinny white ass," Lula told me as she picked up her hand bag. Only God knows how much she has in there. Stun gun, pepper spray, and of course her baby; her Glock. Lula would scare the guy at the sight of her. She was a big black woman whose old profession was a 'ho. She now worked doing the filing at the office, and sometimes helped me, but no one could stop Lula from wearing spandex. She was wearing a bright pink halter neck top with a leopard skin jacket, and a bright blue mini skirt, all of which were two or three sizes too small.

"No shooting," I told her as we headed out to the car. Lula had a habit of not listening to me, so I didn't think the Glock would stay in her bag.

I got out my cuffs from my bag and looped them around the back of my jeans, for easy access.

We drove through the Burg to Dukes house. It was at the opposite end to where I grew up, I didn't know it great, but I knew it all the same.

We walked up to the front door and I knocked twice. Duke answered in seconds. I loved first timers. Duke was dressed in jeans and a shirt that seemed three sizes too big. He had a remote in one hand and the other on the door handle. I put my foot in the way of the door subtly so he couldn't shut it in my face.

"Aaron Duke?" I asked him, he looked at me like he was stoned. Me next favourite skips, ones that were stoned. He looked at me and he just nodded. "I'm Stephanie Plum from Vincent Plum Bail Bonds agency, you seemed to have missed your court date and I'd like to take you down to the police station to reschedule," I explained nice and slowly so that he heard every word.

His face finally registered and he tried to close the door, but it ran into my steel capped docs. He looked at me and turned to run. He stopped instantly, let out a little squeak and collapsed.

I turned to Lula to find her stun gun in hand. "What?" she asked me as if she was completely innocent and did nothing wrong.

"Now we have to carry him to the car," I told her as I bent down and cuffed his hands behind his back. Given Duke's size, me and Lula might have been able to carry him. "You take his feet and I'll take his shoulders," I told her as I tried to pick him up.

We very slowly moved him to the car and got him in the back seat. I told Lula to mind him while I went and closed the front door, to at least make it look like it was locked, hopefully it wouldn't get robbed.

I drove us to the police station and drove to the pick up, I didn't feel like carrying him in as well. I went up the stairs and asked through the little speaker box for someone to come down. I went back to the car and waited for someone to come down.

It was Carl Costanza. He was an ok guy but always had a joke about almost every situation. This situation was no exception.

"You gotta be kidding me, what did you do to this guy? He looks stoned, did you really need to knock him out, or was he just too smart for you?" Carl asked as he tried to heave Duke out of the car and up the stairs.

I followed Costanza up the stairs while Lula stayed in the car and into the station to retrieve my body receipt and get out of there fast enough not to see Morelli.

For once my luck was looking up; I got out to Lula within seconds after getting my body receipt. We drove beck to the office so we could get Connie to write out a check.

"You know what; I think we should go shopping after you get your money. We deserve a reward, we earned it," Lula told me on our way back to the office, "anyway I gotta date tonight and I need a new outfit," she added.

I knew there was a reason, but I felt like shopping too. "We'll go after I've rung Ranger when we get to the office," I told her. Lula nodded and looked at my radio, or lack there of, obviously wishing it had a CD player.

We arrived at the office and parked out front. I noticed Rangers truck was out front, I didn't know whether to be excited or afraid. Lula looked like she was about to burst at the sight of the truck.

We went inside and Ranger wasn't there, I figured he was in with Vinnie. Connie was sitting there painting her nails red, to match her V neck blouse.

I put the receipt in front of Connie and she just smiled at me. "Told you it'd be a piece of cake," she said as she wrote out the check. "You see whose truck's outside?" she asked as she handed me the check.

"Uh-huh," Lula answered. She didn't seem to stop smiling. "How long he been here?" Lula asked Connie quietly, just in case Vinnie had a bug around.

"Around ten minutes, asked if Steph had been in yet," Connie told us, looking at me expectantly.

"What?" I asked innocently, I really wanted to know what was up.

I saw the door to Vinnies office open and Ranger walked out. When he saw me he motioned for me to follow him. He walked out front to his car and leaned on the door and looked at me.

"So, what you wanna talk to me about?" I asked him as I stood and stuck my hands in my pocket. Ranger just stood there for a minute and inspected me, up and down, not that I minded of course.

"I need to ask a favour," he told me as he looked me in the eye, after the long inspection. Ranger's favour's varied, some I liked, some I didn't want to think about.

"What kind of favour?" I asked, kind of curious that he'd ask me for a favour.

"I have some one coming into town and I have nowhere for them to stay that's safe," he told me, "I wanted to see if they could rent out your couch," he told me.

I was shocked at this request. Ranger had around a hundred safe houses, my apartment wasn't even safe for me, how could it be safe for someone else?

"Firstly, my apartment isn't safe; don't you have places to keep people safe? And secondly, who is it?" I asked both questions. Who would he want to keep safe so badly he'd ask me for a favour?

"I need to put them somewhere where nobody will suspect until I get their apartment set up, anybody would suspect any of the Rangeman buildings," he explained to me, not answering my second question, not even whether they were male or female, but he did answer that they were important in some way, because he was setting up their apartment.

"You still haven't answered my second question." I asked again, really wanting to know the answer now.

Ranger thought for a moment, as if trying to think of what to say. "It's my little sister," he told me finally. Wow! He had a sister, and I got to meet her, I might be able to find out some things about Ranger.

"You have a sister?" I asked him, still to surprised about what he just told me to actually think.

"Two but you'll only be meeting my little sister. She's been in Australia for a few months doing some work for me, that's where I've been mostly. She's moving here to help with Rangeman and I need to set up a place for her to live, in the mean time, I need somewhere for her to stay that's safe, I need some one to watch over her. She'll just get away from any of my men but I don't think she'll run away from you. I need you to tell me what she's doing while she's with you. I need to know where she is," he told me.

"So if she stays with me you want me to be a snitch?" I asked him, not really liking the idea of ratting on her.

"Please Steph, don't give me a hard time right now, I haven't slept in two days and I need to sort this out first. Just let her stay and tell me where she's going, no intimate details on her personal life, just where she is," he explained as he rubbed his hands up and down his face. He did look really tired.

"Okay," I told him. I wondered what had happened, why he needed to keep her safe.

"I'll drop her off at eight tonight," he told me, looking me straight in the eye again. "And one more thing…"

"Yeah?"

"She doesn't look like me, more…" he stopped, trying to find the words, "more Irish," he finished.

"Irish?" I asked raising an eye brow. How could his little sister look Irish, he was Cuban.

"She was adopted…just after she was born," he told me. "Thanks babe, owe you one," he told me as he grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me towards him and kissed me. Ranger's kisses were good, really good. "See you tonight," he told me and got in his car and drove off.

That had to be the most information I'd ever gotten out of Ranger about himself. I was surprised he'd told me so much, but then again he told me so little, he only told me what I needed to know.

I walked back into the office and tried to avoid questions from Connie and Lula. They asked me what he wanted anyway. "He just asked for a favour," I told them. "You wanna go shopping or not?" I asked Lula when she asked what the favour was. They took it I wasn't allowed to tell. Ranger hadn't said that, but I didn't say anyway.

Lula and I drove to the mall and went straight to the Macy's shoe department. I wanted shoes, good ones, especially now Ranger was back.

"Omigod, Steph you gotta get these," Lula told me as she picked up some knee high black vinyl boots with chunky heels that were at least four inches. Pure fuck me boots. "You have to get them, they're so you, try them on," Lula told me and pushed me towards a seat to sit on while I tried on the FMB's.

They had no zip, just stretchy vinyl up the leg. I pulled them on up to just under my knee and they fitted perfectly. I looked in the mirror and thought they'd go great with a little black dress that I just happened to have in my wardrobe.

"You gotta buy them," Lula told me as I tried to get them off; it took a while to though. Lula kept looking while I followed, carrying the shoe box. Lula bought some bright pink heels that probably matched most of her outfits.

We payed for the shoes and headed for the car. Once in the car we made a silent agreement that we needed to go to McDonalds for some lunch. We went through the drive through and I ordered a quarter-pounder meal, and Lula ordered two chicken fillet burgers, three large chips and a chocolate thick shake.

"It's only a snack," she told me after she ordered and I looked at her open mouthed.

"For who, just you, or are you planning on feeding a whole third world country while you're at it?" I asked sarcastically as I passed her the bag of her feast.

We ate in the car and then I dropped Lula back at the office so she could get her car and I headed home. My apartment building car park was pretty empty when I got in. It was till mid-afternoon so most of the tenants would be out somewhere doing God knows what, probably the women getting there hair done or something.

I walked into the foyer and debated whether to use the stairs or elevator. I chose stairs, I'd see Ranger tonight. I took the stairs two at a time and then quickly rushed to my apartment. I walked in and greeted Rex and then walked to the living room to see how messy it was. It looked like world war three had struck.

I picked up my laptop from the coffee table and placed it in the kitchen and started cleaning for Rangers sister. I wondered what she'd be like, a mini Ranger, or the complete opposite. Once I had cleared away most of the washing from around the room and it looked clean, I started cleaning around the rest of the apartment, I had a whole afternoon to kill.

I cleaned Rex's cage first. I put him in a pot while I emptied him fish tank and but new wood shavings in the bottom and put back his soup can. I placed Rex back in the tank and put in a grape and a peanut. Rex ate the peanut on the spot and took the grape into his soup can.

I moved on and cleaned the rest of the apartment and by the time I was done it was around 5:30. I really didn't feel like cooking so I thought I'd mooch dinner off of my parents.

I dressed in clean jeans and stretchy T-shirt, grabbed my hand bag and headed down to Big Blue. I drove at the speed limit for the first time for as long as I could remember to dinner at my parent's house. All the other times I seemed to be late. I drove into the Burg and my cell phone went off, and I almost went off the rode trying to answer it.

"Hello?" I said into the phone.

"Hey cupcake," my heart almost stopped at the sound of Morelli's voice. He called, that meant he still cared about me, loved me. I loved him, but had never told him, but he knew.

"What do you want," she asked suspiciously. I wanted Morelli to not judge me, to not tell me to get a new job; I wanted him to want me for me.

"Dinner, unless you'd rather eat at your parents," he told me, I could hear him grinning on the other end.

"What did you have in mind?"

"Pino's at my house," he told me suggestively.

I would have loved to take him up on all offers, but I remembered my favour to Ranger. "I wouldn't be able to stay long, I'm doing a favour for Ranger," ok so I was testing him. I could have just said I had to work, but to add in Rangers name would mean that I could test him too, see if he would accept it.

"What kind of favour?" Morelli sounded a little annoyed, I'd give him that, it was much better then before.

"His sister is renting my couch; he's dropping her off at 8. Don't ask why, she just is," I told him, wondering if he knew Ranger had a sister.

"Ranger has a sister?" Morelli commented in disbelief. He considered this for a second before he spoke again. "You could still come over for dinner." How could I resist.


	2. Chapter 2

**Tittle: Unexpected**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of the characters from Janet Evanovich's books.

**Summary: **Steph and Morelli have been taking a break for a while now. Ranger has been gone for a while now. Ranger comes back with an unexpected person who has to rent out Steph's couch. Steph finds out some interesting things about Ranger while they go, and Morelli makes one hell of a mistake.

**Thanx to my excellent reviewers: **Holbeth, nimacu, kinseycat, B.G.L.I and Ric'sbabe

**Chapter Two: The guest**

After I'd had dinner at Morelli' it was around 7:45, so I had 15 minutes to get back to my apartment and look as if I hadn't just spent the last half hour making out with Morelli. If it wasn't for the fact that it was Ranger I had to meet, I'd have stayed at Morelli's.

I got into Big Blue and drove as fast as I could go to get to my apartment. I was there in 10 minutes; I had 5 to get ready.

I jumped out of the car, locked it, and ran inside. I took the stair to try and work off that excess fat that I'd gained from dinner. I unlocked my apartment and walked in. Rex was running on his wheel and stopped for a second when I turned the light on but then continued running. At least Rex would look fit for Ranger.

I rushed into my room and grabbed a clean pair of jeans and stretchy T-shirt. I then ran into the bathroom and looked at my face. My mascara hadn't lasted and neither had my hair. I quickly fixed my mascara and stuffed my hair up in a pony tail. I inspected the results on a mirror in my bedroom, not bad.

I checked my watch, it was 7:59, maybe I could just fix my hair a bit more. Nop, someone had just knocked on the door, this will have to do. I walked to the door and checked the peep hole, hoping to get a look at the sister, all I saw was Ranger. I opened the door and smiled up at him.

"She'll be up in a second, she came in her car," he explained and I just nodded, the curiosity was killing me.

We stood in the door for a few seconds before Ranger walked into me and I moved back, and he closed the door. Ranger walked me against a wall and put his hands either side of me. Next thing I knew he was kissing me, and all I could think about was Ranger and his orgasmic kisses, the thought of meeting his sister was out the window, that is until, someone knocked on the door. Ranger pulled away and just looked at me for a second, me, I was trying to catch my breath again. He gave me one last kiss, the softest kiss I'd thought I'd ever had and I thought I'd melt on the spot, and he went to answer the door.

I stood up again, regaining composure, while Ranger walked over to the door and looked through the peep hole to see who it was. He opened the door to who I assumed was his sister. She was definitely didn't look anything like Ranger. She had natural auburn hair with died in Blonde and bright red streaks, and she had light skin you got from being a natural red head. She looked as if she could be aged anywhere between 18 and 30, my best guess was she was around 23 or 24, I wasn't that sure. She had a few scars on her face and neck, and I wondered where she'd gotten them from. She was wearing flip flops, one pink, the other white, she had on hipster jeans with a studded black belt, you know, the ones that are in fashion, she was wearing a black hoodie that said 'Panthers' on the front in white and green writing and had the out line of a panther's head under it, and to top it off she was wearing white Ockley's on her head, was it just me, or was it dark outside? She looked completely opposite to Ranger.

She walked in and I noticed she had a slight limp in her right leg. She stood as she studied me just as I was studying her.

Ranger interrupter us, "Steph this is Anna-Bella, Anna this is Steph," he told us both and we shook hands. Anna-Bella had now moved on from studying me to studying her surroundings. "Is your bag in your car," Ranger asked her. She just nodded and handed him a set of keys. Ranger left the apartment and closed the door behind him.

"So…Steph," she was obviously trying to find something to say, as she stood there and just look at me, clicking her fingers. "Rangers told me a bit about you," she told me finally. She walked into the living room as if she owned the place and sat on me couch sidewards so she could see me over the back.

"Really?" I asked her in a surprised tone, I wasn't sure whether to be happy or annoyed. "He's told me absolutely nothing about you," I added on as I stood and leaned on the wall.

Anna-Bella just sat and chuckled a bit and smiled as she started to study her new found surroundings. "Didn't expect him to, he likes to keep people on a need to know business, I'm surprised he's told you what he's already told you, he only trusts few people with more then he's told you," she told me, continuing to study what was around her.

"Like who?"

"Me, my sister and two brothers…" she told me and thought for a moment, "Tank, Jeanne Ellen…he used to trust Mel, but that's over," she told me. I wasn't all surprised that he'd trust family, he'd have to trust Tank if he was his right hand man, and I wasn't really surprised about Jeanne Ellen, I was interested though, but I couldn't help wonder who Mel was.

It was pretty obvious that Ranger liked to keep to himself. "I'd noticed," was all I said before Ranger came back through the door with a back pack and a mini suitcase, it was a funny site considering the back pack was blue and the mini suitcase was white, Ranger didn't do colour, he did black, the colour didn't really suit him. He walked into the living room and put the bags next to the couch.

Anna-Bella stood up as he did this. "Can you give me a towel so I can have a shower?" she asked me, probably already figured out from her observations that the bathroom was connected to the bedroom.

"Sure," I told her and I walked into my room and got a towel out of the closet for Anna-Bella. I handed it to her and she walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

I walked back into the living room to find Ranger lounging on my couch, looking very tired. I walked over and sat next to him with my feet under me.

"You look tired," I told him after a few awkward moments of silence. Ranger just nodded, eyes closed, for once he was off guard. "What have you been up to in the last three months?"

"Working in Australia first, then Philadelphia, way too many problems that had to be taken care of," of course he didn't tell me what problems, but I was already lucky enough to be told where he was. "What's this I hear about you and Morelli?"

"We're having a break," I answered simply, no point in asking _how_ he knew about me and Morelli taking a break, Ranger had his sources, all reliable.

"Seems to be a long break, two and a half months," Ranger continued, finally opening his eyes, sitting up straight again, his eyes looking straight into mine. "Why so long?"

_Now _I wanted to know where he got this information. "How do you know this?" I asked him.

"I have my ways," he answered simply. "Answer my question."

"What does it matter?" I asked him, looking away from him; I wouldn't be able to keep not telling him if he kept looking at me like that.

Rangers answer to this was to pull me over to him and start kissing me, not that I minded. It started out soft, innocent, if that was possible with Ranger. Then he depended the kiss. Soon he had me pinned down under neath him on the couch. I couldn't help but moan when I felt him touch my abdomen.

The next thing I knew his pager went off and he pulled away and reached down between us to his pager that was attached to his belt. He read the message and said something in Spanish; I'd never heard him do that before.

"Gotta go babe," he told me, getting off of me and standing up while I sat up on the couch. "Tell Anna that I'll get her tomorrow morning at 5:30," he told me, walking to the front door and I followed. Before he opened it he turned around and gave me a quick kiss. "Thanks again babe," and with that he was gone, out the door.

I was definitely going to be learning a lot of things about Ranger I'd never known before, the only problem was, did I want to know them?


	3. Chapter 3

**Tittle: Unexpected**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of the characters from Janet Evanovich's books.

**Summary: **Steph and Morelli have been taking a break for a while now. Ranger has been gone for a while now. Ranger comes back with an unexpected person who has to rent out Steph's couch. Steph finds out some interesting things about Ranger while they go, and Morelli makes one hell of a mistake.

**Chapter Three: Does she?**

After Ranger left I figured I really needed some coffee, I didn't care if it kept me up all night, but I was really craving it right now. I walked over to the coffee machine and started it up and just leaned on the counter and closed my eyes, too tired to open them. I heard Anna-Bella walk in and stand next to me for a few seconds before she actually spoke.

"Do you usually have coffee at this hour, or am I just a special occasion that brings it on?" she asked me in a rather amused voice, sounded like Ranger, but much higher, I finally found a similarity. "Steph, just go to bed if you're that tired, Ranger would definitely kill me if you collapsed at the wheel of your blue beast tomorrow whilst driving," she obviously knew about Big Blue, probably Ranger told her, but I really didn't care at that present time. I hesitated in going to bed, wanted to make sure Anna-Bella was settled. "Go, go to bed," she told me, giving me a push towards the living room and my room. "I'll be fine, I'll find sheets and things to sleep on, good night," she told me as she pushed me gently towards my door.

"Ok, good night Anna-Bella," I said to her as I floated into my bedroom. I'm not exactly sure that I floated, but by now I couldn't feel my feet.

"Steph, call me Anna or Bella, not both," she told me as she closed the door behind me. It would definitely be Anna, I couldn't bring myself to call her Bella, made her sound like Grandma Bella, and Anna didn't look like she'd be giving me the eye any time soon.

I didn't bother getting changed, just collapsed into bed, didn't even bother with sheets, too tired to care.

Next thing I knew I was still in bed and could smell coffee and donuts. I sat up and noticed that there was light coming through my fire escape, and I didn't even remember being asleep. I had to think for a minute about who would have gotten donuts, and then I remembered Anna.

I stumbled out of bed and out the door and walked into the kitchen to find Anna leaning on the counter with a donut in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. She'd obviously been for a run with Ranger this morning, but didn't seem that tired. She was dressed in a sports bra and basketball shorts that supported some team I didn't recognise, it was the colours of the Lakers uniform but said 'Sydney Kings' instead. She didn't seem to have an ounce of fat on her, while she stood there eating a donut with a box of donuts next to her that was only three quarters full.

"What time is it?" I asked as I grabbed a donut and poured myself some coffee.

"Around 8, I didn't want to wake you," she explained, finishing her donut and coffee and getting refills for both.

"You went running with Ranger?" I asked, already knowing the answer. Anna nodded, not able to speak because of the donut that inhabited her mouth. "And you kept up with him?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, then I went for donuts, he didn't like that idea too much so he went back home to have a shower and get changed before work. I'm going to your work later after I have a shower, I'll give you a lift if you want?" she asked as she took yet another bite of her donut and another gulp of coffee, this girl was making me look like an amateur.

"Sure," I said as I finished my coffee and one donut and headed off to have a shower. "You can have the shower after I'm done with it," I explained as I walked to my room.

I undressed after I closed my door and walked straight into the shower, just standing there for a minute or two, just thinking. Anna seemed to be extremely social, not leave out the little things. Besides, she liked donuts, she couldn't be all bad, and she shared my love for coffee.

I wondered why she was going to Vinnies, maybe to get a job or something.

I washed my hair and got out of the shower and did the whole make-up and hair thing, didn't look half bad. I rushed out of the bedroom into the living room where Anna was sitting watching TV drinking more coffee.

"Bathroom's all yours," I told her as I sat down on my couch. She stood up, placed the coffee on a little table in front of her and headed off to the bathroom.

I watched TV for another ten minutes before I saw Anna come out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her in search of clothes. She some clothes and was back in the bathroom again.

Another ten minutes later Anna walked out into the living room dressed in a black singlet and black cargo pants. She looked better then I would if I'd spent and hour on hair and make-up alone. Her hair was straight, her make-up was perfect, black eyeliner and mascara, no blusher, no eye shadow, no lipstick but she looked bloody gorgeous, and all this in ten minutes. She threw her dirty clothes in one of her bags and grabbed a pair of chucks an dput them on, sitting on the couch next to me.

She stood up and grabbed a black shoulder bag and looked at me expectantly. She looked like a female Ranger, she was doing a better impersonation then Jeanne Ellen Burrows, and she looked like cat woman. Anna looked better though.

I grabbed my pocket book and jacket from the hall with Anna following. We both left the apartment after saying goodbye to Rex and I locked the door. I then followed Anna towards the lift and we travelled down to the ground floor. Anna got out and led me out to the car park and then to a black sporty sort of car, but it wasn't a small one, it was bigger. I read the back, it was a _holden_, but I didn't recognise it. As I got closer I saw the kind of car, it was a _Monaro_. Probably some new imported model.

"It's from Australia, we have them here but they're not very popular. I like them better then the small sporty cars," Anna explained as we got closer, as if reading my thoughts. She unlocked the car and got into the drivers side, and I got into the passenger side. "I had to have the drivers side changed to this side, in Australia it's on the other side," she explained as she started the car. It didn't make much noise, barely any.

Anna started to drive out of the lot and put on a CD, _Nickelback_, nice taste. She drove straight to Vinnies and parked out front, but there was no black Porsche, that meant Ranger wasn't here.

I walked up to the office with Anna walking behind me. I walked in to find Connie and Lula with a half eaten batch of donuts.

Lula stood behind Connie who was sitting in her chair, both looking at the computer screen.

"What's so interesting?" I asked them both as I walked in and leaned on the top of Connie's desk with my elbows.

"I have a camera set up in Vinnies office," Connie told me, looking up at me smirking. I ran around the desk to see the computer screen. I had to look away the second I saw what he was doing, well what he and Joyce were doing.

"Eww! Did not want to see that! Why are you watching it?" I asked them as I quickly got on the other side of the desk next to an amused Anna.

"Blackmail," Lula told me, fair enough.

"Can you tell me when they're finished, I need to see Vinnie," Anna told Connie, smirking.

"And you are?" Lula asked; hand on hip, no attitude face on.

"Rangers little sister, I'm staying with Steph for a few days," she explained, sitting on the couch behind her.

"Oh, in that case I'll get him right now," Connie told her, smiling sweetly. "Vinnie, Visitor!"

"I'm busy!" we heard him scream come from behind the door, then a laugh from Joyce; I involuntarily curled back my bottom lip.

"It's Rangers sister!" Connie screamed back. "She's been excited about meeting you," Connie told her, smirking when we heard Joyce scream angrily and sounds of Vinnie searching for clothes. Lula and Connie were laughing at the screen, I had to see this. I ran around the desk and saw Vinnie getting dressed and dressing a very unhappy Joyce, obviously wasn't top priority.

Next thing we knew Joyce was being thrown out the office door, and she didn't look too happy, I could only laugh at this.

"Anna, come in," Vinnie told Anna, faking sweetness. He had his hair greased back and he was adjusting his tie.

Anna only laughed and followed Vinnie into his office. Connie turned the volume up on the computer; obviously this spying system had a microphone too.

"So, Ranger tells me you want a job as a Bond Enforcement agent," Vinnie started off, walking around and sitting in his desk. I laughed when I saw Anna sit in a chair opposite his and then plonk both her feet up on Vinnies over sized desk.

"Yeah, thought I'd give something new a try."

I noticed that Joyce was still standing there, listening to all this to.

"You've had a lot of occupations; you were a lawyer once weren't you? You seem too young to have gone to law school and still have done all these other professions," Vinnie stated as he looked through her folder, that Connie had obviously used her handy dandy computer to make up, so she used to be a lawyer.

"I finished high school when I was fifteen and a half, one of those smart kids," she explained simply.

Vinnie just nodded. "Says here you were also in the Special Forces for a few years, and have worked for Ranger ever since you quit that," Vinnie said looking through her folder again. "Doesn't say your age, or address, is there something with your family?" the more I got to know her, the more she was like Ranger.

"I still work for Ranger, I just want something else to do while I'm not working for him," she told him, ignoring the last comment.

"I'll get Connie to give you a few FTA's to start off, you can have Ranger or Steph show you the technical stuff like what to do when you get to the police station, maybe you can show her how to actually catch a guy," the last part he said under his breath as he stood up. "I'll give you this case we just got in, worth twenty thousand if you get him, I was gonna give it to someone else, but you're more experienced in other aspects. It's a gun and drug dealer," Vinnie told her as he headed out of the office with Anna behind him. I felt Joyce stiffen as he told her what case she'd get; I was guessing Joyce had been the other person in mind.

Vinnie opened the door and Connie turned off the volume and we all rushed out from behind the desk and tried to look natural.

"Give Anna the folder to Alex Rund," Vinnie told Connie and headed back into his office.

"I know him," Anna said silently as Connie passed her the papers. Anna opened the file instantly and nodded to herself. "Steph you wanna help me with this?" she asked me and looked up at me. "All I'm doing is going to his night club and getting him, its simple, just come to a bar with me, do a little dancing, then help me get this guy," she told me.

"I'll do it," sounded easy, and I'd get some of the money from it.

"I'm coming to, somebody needs to protect your little white girl asses," Lula said and looked at Anna and reconsidered, "ok maybe you don't need it so much but Steph does. Me and Connie'll come and stay out of your way," Lula and Connie nodded at us hopefully, and I looked at Anna.

"Sure, why not," she told them. "I'm going, you coming with me or staying here?" Anna asked me.

"Coming with you," either that or get asked a million questions.

We walked outside and walked to her car. As we went to get into the car, Rangers Porsche drove up behind us. Ranger got out and we both just looked at him.

"I need to talk to Steph, I'll take her home," he told Anna quietly as he walked over to her side of the car.

"Okay," she said to him and then leaned in and whispered something in his ear, Ranger just nodded. "Bye," she told him and kissed him on the cheek and got into her car. I stepped away from the car and watched her drive off.

Ranger walked over to me and gave me a gentle push in the direction of his car. I got in the passenger side and he got in the drivers side. He drove off to some where unknown to me.

"Where are we going?" I asked him.

"Rangeman head quarters," he told me simply and looked over at me; I raised an eyebrow in question. "I have some work to do but talking to you can't really wait," he explained, looking back at the road.

"What do you have to talk about?"

"You'll see."


	4. Chapter 4

**Tittle: Unexpected**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of the characters from Janet Evanovich's books.

**Summary: **Steph and Morelli have been taking a break for a while now. Ranger has been gone for a while now. Ranger comes back with an unexpected person who has to rent out Steph's couch. Steph finds out some interesting things about Ranger while they go, and Morelli makes one hell of a mistake.

**Chapter four: What did he say?**

I sat there in silence as Ranger drove to the Rangeman building. I sat in silence wondering what he wanted to say, was it about Anna, or about him, or maybe something completely different all together?

Ranger drove into the car park and parked in one of his spots right next to his Bronco and Porsche. I got out and followed him inside into the foyer; he stopped and turned to look at me before we went in.

"Go up to the seventh floor and wait for me there, okay?" it was more an order then a request, and it didn't sound too friendly, but I did as he asked.

We both walked over to the elevator and stepped in as the doors opened. I leaned against the back wall as he pushed the button for the seventh floor, but not one for the floor he was going to. I didn't think on it too much and just stared into space, thinking about Ranger. I was thinking about what he would ask me, what it was about, what he hadn't told me about him, how many siblings he really had, and also remembering what he looked like naked. Jesus Stephanie, stop doing that!

I stepped out of the elevator and Ranger stepped out too, I unlocked the door while Ranger stood watching me.

"What?" I didn't really have time to question further because the next thing I knew he was kissing me. When he pulled away and started walking back to the lift, I felt a bit used. "Hey, what was that for?!"

He just turned for a second and showed the corners of his mouth raise a little and he just winked and got in the lift and left.

Why do the men in my life always leave first? I want to leave first for once!

I walked into the well decorated apartment and sat on the gorgeous and very expensive couch. I sat there for a minute after realising that there was nothing to do on the couch, no books, no magazines, no nothing. So, I stood up and walked around the apartment, see if anything had changed since my last visit.

I checked the kitchen, still no good food, hasn't he ever heard of tasty cakes? Oh, I forgot, he's big on the 'my body is a temple' thing, one saying I have never believed in.

I moved on to the bedroom next, of course this was strictly scientific research, maybe, so of course I would have to check if everything had changed. The bed sheets were the same, and the bed looked extremely comfortable, which it was. There wasn't much else in the room, except two doors, one to his wardrobe, and the other to the bathroom and that to die for shower gel. Do you think he'd notice if I accidentally dropped some in my hand bag and forgot to put it back? Don't think so.

I started to wonder as I walked through the apartment why there weren't any pictures of his family or friends or ANYTHING. He seemed to hide things even from himself at times, why wouldn't he have pictures of family in his apartment, nobody else would see them. I wonder if there are pictures at the bat cave.

"Babe," I heard Ranger say in an amused voice, well as amused as you can get for Ranger, from behind me. I had made my way back into the living room, but was still looking around; I must have looked pretty stupid right about then.

"What did you want to talk about?" I asked turning to face him. He looked relaxed; he was leaning against the opposite wall, studying me. For some reason I didn't mind when he studied me, it didn't feel like an invasion of privacy, it didn't feel the same as when Morelli did it.

"Sit," he told me as he nodded towards the expensive couch. I of course did as asked, hoping to hear what he wanted to tell me soon otherwise I'd burst. "Firstly…" he told me and just look at me as if waiting for an answer. "Has Anna done anything, gone anywhere?" he asked, in his serious no nonsense voice.

"As far as I know, only this morning out running," I told him and he nodded, liking that answer.

"Secondly, I need to ask a favour,"

"Another one?" I asked sarcastically. If I had a tab going on these favours I'd come out a very happy Stephanie, Stop it! No thinking about sleeping with Ranger.

"I've got a job for you tonight," I was about to say that I was already helping Anna but he held a hand up to stop me, "it's both you and Anna, the guy she's tracking down usually works at this bar that she knows, I had Vinnie give it to her and I'm helping, along with a few others to catch him," he told me.

"What do I have to do?"

"There's gonna be two guys there, Sam Jones and Alex Rund. I need to get to Rund but him and Jones barely leave each others side. I'm having you distract Jones while Anna lead's Rund to us," Ranger explained as he walked over and sat on the other couch, slouching and looking extremely tired.

"Sounds simple enough," I said more to myself, but it was never that simple with Ranger, "what's the catch?"

"Rund is the only one who has any priors," he explained, "and Jeanne Ellen will be helping us on this one, her and Tank will be close by if anything goes wrong with Jones," Ranger added.

"But you said he had no priors," I said a little scared of the fact that something could go wrong.

"I said he didn't have any priors yes, but that just means he hasn't been charged with anything." Oh God, that didn't sound good, I was in trouble. I could jut feel the blood running from my face.

"How bad is he?"

"Not as bad as Rund," was all he said before he walked over and put my head between my legs and told me to pressure against his hand. "You'll get five thousand for the job," suddenly this wasn't looking so bad, I mean, if he wasn't as bad as the other guy, that wasn't so bad, right? Right, for five thousand dollars I'd take it, especially with Jeanne Ellen and Tank watching.

"I'll do it." How could I honestly resist five thousand dollars, you could buy a lot of shoes with that much money.

Ranger just ginned at my almost immediate response. "I'll pick you up at eight then," he told me and stood up ad walked to the kitchen.

"Is that all you wanted to talk about?" I asked as I just sat and lounged on the couch. I was hoping he'd keep his promise that he once made me, that if Morelli stayed out of my life for too long, he'd be in me bed almost every night making me forget. I just sat and dreamt that it would happen. Get a grip Stephanie, the little voice in head lectured me, this is Ranger, Ranger doesn't share _anything_ emotional, do you really want a relationship with him if he doesn't even share anything with you apart from physical attraction. No, no I don't do I.

"What's happening with you and Morelli?" The first time he'd asked, was he ready to keep his promise. I wasn't really sure if I wanted that or not.

"We're having a time out," I told him, I'd used that term before, but that's what was happening, I think. Morelli and I had sort of an on-again-off-again relationship, but this was he longest we'd ever gone on an off moment.

"Two and a half months seems like a long break," Ranger didn't show any emotion, he never did, that had to be one of the things I loved and then hated about him, sometimes you just didn't know what was going through his head, which was annoying because he almost always knew exactly what was going through mine. Ranger was standing behind me, leaning against the wall.

"Three months seems a long time to be away on business."

I sat side ways on the couch with my feet bent at the knees as I leant back on the arm rest. I saw Ranger think for a minute about this as we held each others gaze. "What do you expect me to say to that?"

Now I had to think, I really had no idea, I'd only said it so I didn't have to answer the question about Morelli. "What did you expect to about me and Morelli?" the only thing that I could think of, but it was a question I had thought about.

"I did it for Anna. For the first week I was in Australia, dealing with business, and then had every intention of coming home…" Ranger walked over and sat in the one seater couch next to mine, slouching back on the couch. "Then I get a call from my brother, telling me Anna's in trouble. Her ex boyfriend was harassing her…then threatening her, it got too much," he told me finally looking up at me, looking me straight in the eye. "That's why I wasn't here, because I needed to help my sister. That's why she's here; I needed to get her away from all that."

He really was capable of caring for someone then, he had a soul, somehow I found it both slightly disappointing and heart warming at the same time. "Good reason," I mumbled quietly, not able to hold his gaze any longer, and just looked at my hands on my knees.

"You still haven't answered my question," Ranger reminded her; he didn't like not getting his way.

"Nothing's happening with me and Morelli really, we just happen to see each other once or twice a week, nothing really," I told him, it was true. Morelli and I had started to take a break, slow it down. We'd kind of agreed not to see anyone else, even though it wasn't voiced by either of us, it was just an unwritten rule.

"I'll take you back to your apartment," Ranger told me after he considered this for a few moments, standing up.

I stood up and followed him out the door and to the car. Ranger was quiet on the way home, in his zone. When we got to my apartment and I went to get out, he stopped me. "Pick you up at eight," he told me, I got out of the car and he was gone.

Wow, I'd just found out more about Ranger in the last hour or so then I had in the whole time I've known him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Tittle: Unexpected**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of the characters from Janet Evanovich's books.

**Summary: **Steph and Morelli have been taking a break for a while now. Ranger has been gone for a while now. Ranger comes back with an unexpected person who has to rent out Steph's couch. Steph finds out some interesting things about Ranger while they go, and Morelli makes one hell of a mistake.

**Chapter five: too easy**

I walked into my apartment and saw that Anna wasn't back yet. I did a quick check of the clock, 5pm, how time flies when you're in the company of Ranger.

I really needed to think about what was going on, so I walked into my room, climbed onto my bed and took my think position. My thinking position not only helped me think, but you could have a nap while you were thinking too. I woke up a while later, not sure what time it was, but I could hear something outside my room. I looked at the clock next to my bed and saw it was 6:50. Shit! I only have around an hour to get ready.

I walked into the living room to see what the noise was, to find Anna searching through random clothes that had been thrown on the floor. She pulled out a skirt and threw it on the couch and kept looking.

"What are you doing?" I asked as I walked into the room and stood at the doorway.

"Looking for an outfit…this case is kinda…personal," she told me, not explaining any further, looking again. She grabbed a pair of jeans and threw them on the couch and threw off the skirt. Obviously not in the outfit choices for tonight. She grabbed some black boots with a four inch heal that went all the way up to the knees (or so it looked when she was carrying them) and did up with pink laces, and a black halter neck top. "I'm gonna go get dressed in the bathroom, okay?" she told me as she walked through my bedroom to the bathroom.

I stood where I was, and wondered what had gotten her so caught up, maybe it was the skip we were picking up, she had said it was kind of personal, but how could that have gotten her so caught up, from what I'd seen of her, she was better then Jeanne Ellen, she shouldn't get emotional about a skip. What was so bad about this skip?

I walked into my room to look for clothes. I pulled out a black mini skirt, a red singlet top and my new FMB's. I walked over o the set of draws and pulled out some fishnets. I got dressed and was studying myself in the mirror, I looked good, but was it good enough for Ranger, I mean this was _Ranger_ we're talking about here.

Anna walked out of the bathroom a few minutes later, looking gorgeous, even though she had no make up on and her hair was still wet from her shower. She had on black hipster jeans that fitted perfectly, her halter top stopped an inch above her belly button, showing her creative belly button ring.

She walked into the living room and I could hear a hair dryer go on as I walked into the bathroom to do the hair and make-up thing. That took me about a half hour, then I realised I had another twenty-five minutes before Ranger would be here, plenty of time. I looked in the mirror again, much much better.

I walked out of my room and into the living room just as Anna was hanging up the phone, hair dried straight and make-up on and looking perfect. She put her phone in the pocket in her jeans made for coins, but it was a perfect fit for her phone. I noticed it was one of those new colour screen camera phones, black of course.

"Ranger said to take your gun," she told me as I walked into the hallway to get my bag and my hardware. I walked into the kitchen and got my gun from the cookie jar and bullets from the draw, put it in my bag and walked into the living room and sat on the half of the couch that wasn't covered in clothes. "Me and Jeanne Ellen have swapped jobs, Either Alex or Sam could recognise me…" she didn't explain any further, just cleared some clothes off the couch and sat down.

"Why?"

"I don't really wanna explain it again…ask Ranger," and that was it before she turned on the TV.

We sat for about twenty minutes watching some Drama when I heard someone open my door. I tuned around and saw Ranger walked into the room and lean against the door frame and just looked extremely amused at the TV. I turned the TV off and walked up to Ranger, Anna following me.

"Nice outfit you're almost wearing," he told me with another hint of amusement as Anna walked passed us into the kitchen.

"I'm going in my car, meet you there," she told us and she was gone. She was definitely Rangers sister.

"Let's go," he told me and turned to go. I followed him out my apartment door and he waited as I locked the door. I turned and noticed that he was inches from me, and I started to get hot flashes. He me straight in the eye and I held his gaze. "We better go," he told me, and turned to leave.

I followed him to the stairs and then to his black shiny Mercedes. We both got in and sat in silence for a few minutes as Ranger drove. The silence was unnerving.

"What is it with Anna and Alex Rund?" I asked the first of many questions on my mind.

Ranger turned and looked at me for a second, then turned back to the road. "He's her ex." Wow, the one that abused her? Crap, I don't want to go after this guy anymore, even for the money they're offering. "Don't worry, you'll have me, Tank and Anna watching your back and Jeanne Ellen will be close by. That's why I gave you Jones, he may not have been convicted of anything, but the stuff eh did was nothing like Rund…" He stopped, not wanting to go into details.

But I wanted them. "Like what?"

Ranger looked at me and hesitated for a second. "Abuse, Rape and was the suspect to a murder charge a few years back, the case was dropped because all the eyewitnesses dropped dead suddenly and they had no other evidence." Sam Jones was looking better and better. "I don't want to risk your safety to get this guy, Babe," he was serious, with a bit over protectiveness, Ranger never showed emotion towards me, only physical, that's why we couldn't be together before. Obviously I looked surprised from what he had said because he soon spoke up again. "Don't look so surprised about the fact that I actually care for your safety." He had to put in the last part; he had to ad _safety,_ why couldn't he just say that he _cared for me_, no ad ons.

"Only my safety," I said softly as I stared out the window.

He looked at me for a second then pulled into the car park of the club. I went to get out but he stopped me and tried made me look at him but I just look away, "Steph, look at me," I think it was the way that he said my name that made me turn around. I raised an eyebrow expectantly. "You know this is how it has to be-"

"According to you…_you_ and _your_ no emotion rules…not mine," I told him, cutting him off. I also wanted a man that kept his promises, like the one he gave me after we slept together. He looked me straight in the eye and I met his stare.

"We better go inside." He was out of the car and walking towards the bar in a second. I followed and then heard him use the remote to lock the car. I caught up and was behind him when he stopped and turned around. "Be careful," and he turned around again and walked inside. I followed him as he walked to the far corner towards where Tank, Jeanne Ellen and Anna were already sitting. Ranger sat down next to Tank and I sat in the only free seat next to Jeanne Ellen and Anna.

Jeanne Ellen was dressed in a black leather mini skirt and a black V-neck top that stopped ¾ down her arms and showed a lot of cleavage.

"Come on, our guys just came in and are siting at the bar," Jeanne Ellen told me and we headed towards the bar. "Your guys on the right," she told me quietly as we got ten metres away down the other end of the bar. We ordered drinks, not really a good idea for me, and looked at them trying not to be noticed doing it.

Sam Jones was about mid twenties, good looking and looked as if he spent a lot of time in the gym and his best friend was Mr. Steroid, I kept telling myself that he wasn't as bad as Rund. Alex Rund was also good looking, but even more so, not as good as Ranger or Morelli, but that was next to impossible. He looked a bit older then Jones, and not as big, but still strong.

"You go get Jones first and then I'll lead Rund away," Jeanne Ellen explained to me, moving a few seats closer and I followed. "Try and lead him out the back door, the Ranger will get him, alright?" she continued. I nodded and started over to Rund.

Act natural and as if you think he is the sexiest guy on earth. I walked up next to him and noticed the empty seat. "Is this seat taken?" I could feel his eyes on me the whole time, checking me out as I'd walked over.

"Sure…Hey Alex, go dance for a bit will you?" he turned his head a bit as he talked to Rund. This was even easier then first planed. "What's your name?"

Think Steph think! "I don't give my name out to strange men," that's it Steph, why not make him angry?

"I'm not that strange," he was flirting the little prick.

"Why don't you come out for a little fresh air with me, I can barely breathe in this place," I asked sweetly, leaning down a bit, showing some cleavage.

He stared straight at my chest. "Sure." I smiled sweetly and walked towards the back door, looking behind me to check if he was there. He was, watching me but the whole time. I walked out the back doors to an alley way.

Once outside he had me pinned to a wall. "Who sent you?" he yelled at me, seeming pretty angry, holding me hard against the wall.

"No one, let me go!" I yelled back.

The next thing I knew he was thrown off of me and I saw him on the ground with Ranger holding him down. "You okay?" Ranger seemed pretty concerned.

"Yeah, fine."

Ranger put a knee in his back and pulled his hands around and cuffed him. He kept his knee in his back as he pulled out his cell phone. "We got him…come get him from me," and he hung up, obviously no more needed to be explained.

Tank was there a few seconds later, came through the back door. Ranger got off Jones and pulled him up. He looked as if Ranger had punched him in the face, and he wasn't too happy about it. Tank took him and walked out of the alley way, dragging Jones.

I was still leaning against the wall, not really wanting to move. Ranger looked at me and walked over. He stood close to me, and my stomach did flip flops.

"You sure you're ok?" he looked me straight in the eye, but didn't show any emotion.

"Yeah."

We walked back into the club and found Anna and Bobby waiting for us.

"Jean Ellen just took Rund, he's off to the police station," Bobby explained.

"I'll take you home." Ranger told me, turning and heading out the door of the club. It led to the car park. We walked to the car and got in. The ride was silent, as usual.

I looked over at Ranger as he was driving, in his zone. It felt too quiet for me, so I decided to talk.

"Thanks," it was simple and made a point, also got his attention.

"For what, babe?" as he gave me a side ways glance, still no emotion in his face.

"For saving me from Jones," I explained.

"Like I said before babe, I care about your safety," he said it _again_ only my safety.

"Again, it's only my safety," I said, more to myself then him. I saw him try to say something but I stopped him. "I know, like you said before, that's the way it has to be, right?"

He was back in his zone for the next minute until he parked in the car park of my building. I got out of the car and he followed me as usual, seeing if my apartment was safe. I looked up and saw my fire escape, the window was broken.

I stopped right where I was, in the middle of one of the few free parking spots. Ranger came up next to me and gave me a strange look. My attention was still on the fire escape.

Ranger followed my gaze and said something in Spanish under his breath, most likely a swear word.

He got his cell and dialled up a number. "We have a problem," he said to who I assumed was Tank who was on the other line. He started walking towards the entrance of the building and I followed. He noticed this and turned to face me. "Go wait in the car babe," most likely to protect me.

I walked back to the car and waited in the passenger seat. I looked up at my apartment and saw lights go on in different' rooms. I saw Ranger walked around in my room for a bit, still on the phone. He left my room and the apartment. All the lights were off. He walked out of the main doors into my building and headed towards the car, without the phone. He got into the drivers side and took a deep breath and looked pained.

"What?"

"Let's just say, your bed has death cooties," he told me and looked over at me. I must have looked shocked.

"You have two choices babe, either staying at Rangemen or with Morelli, what's it gonna be?"

"On the fourth floor or on the seventh?" I really didn't want to stay on the fourth floor.

The corners of his mouth lifted a little, a Ranger smile. "Your choice, it's always your choice babe."

"I'll stay with you, me and Morelli are still having a time out," maybe that will help him remember his promise.

He looked at me for a second, then straight in front of him. "Are you fine to get some clothes out of your apartment?" he finally asked. I really needed clothes; maybe if I just closed my eyes and didn't look it would all be good. I nodded, yes.

We both got out of the car and slowly headed for the building. We used to the elevator; I'll use the dead body as an excuse. We slowly walked to my apartment. I opened the door and turned on the lights.

I let Ranger take the lead towards the bedroom, not wanting to be the first to see the dead body. I walked into the room behind him and accidentally saw the body; it was a male, about mid twenties, well built.

I quickly looked away and went to grab some clothes and chucked them in a bag and went into the bathroom and grabbed a few things, and conveniently in the mess of all this, forgot shower gel.

We quickly got out of my apartment and I locked the door. We headed back down to the car in silence. We both got into the car and Ranger was in his zone as he drove to the Rangemen building. I really wanted a conversation soon, because I couldn't stop thinking about the dead body.

Ranger drove into the Rangemen car park and parked in one of his spots. He got out of the car and grabbed my bag from the back and started walking towards the lobby. I got out of the car and followed him into the lobby then into the lift. We stood silently in the lift, neither of us daring to talk. The lift reached the seventh floor and we both got out and I waited for Ranger to open the door.

We both walked into the apartment and headed straight for the couch and sat on it, it was a comfortable couch. Ranger walked over and sat on the couch next to it.

"You ok?" he'd asked that so many times tonight, but now I wasn't okay.

"Yes," no reason to tell him that.

"Liar," I could see him smiling.

"Thanks again," yet another time I've thanked him, "for helping me."

"As much as I don't want to admit it…I actually do care about you babe, not just about your safety."

"Wow, you do know that caring about me is on an emotional level."

"Do you want the truth? I care about you; I do actually have _emotional_ feelings for you. God, my life was so much simpler before you came along, it was so different. I used to be completely apart from the rest of the world, my life changed the second you walked into it, and I'm loving almost every minute of it," I just stared at him in disbelief, was this Ranger? Because he was telling me too much information about himself to be Ranger.

"What do you mean almost?" I asked with a bit of a smirk.

"Do you know how hard it was for me to send you back to Morelli? I didn't want to…but I had to. I didn't want to hurt you, I still don't…you had wanted something I couldn't give you, only he could."

I looked at him straight in the eye, and he returned the gaze. "And now?"

He walked over and sat next to me. I started get hot flashes because he was sitting so close, no personal space left. He kissed me and I swear I saw stars. He had one hand under my shirt lying flat on my stomach. "I'm still trying to work that one out," he pulled back a little and said it. He stayed back for a few seconds, and just looked me in the eye. He started to kiss me again and I knew I was flat on my back on the couch.

Too soon after I heard Rangers mobile was going off. He pulled away slightly and swore under his breath. He stood up and picked up the phone, pacing as he was doing so.

"Yo," he said into the phone. He stopped pacing as I heard the slight muffles of the other person answering. He started talking to them and eventually hung up a few minutes later. I was now sitting up on the couch. "I have to go and sort this out; I'll be back in half an hour. You can either sleep in here or in my room if you get tired," he told me as he headed out the door.

After he left I sat there for a minute thinking about the kiss. What had it meant? And what had he meant about trying to work out whether he'd hurt me or not if we were together?

I thought about it for another five minutes when I realise that I was tired. I debated about the couch or the bed. I decided on the couch because I didn't want to do anything I'd regret once he got in it too.

I got dressed into a baggy Rangers shirt and victorias secret hipster bikini bottoms. I found some blankets in the bedroom and laid down on the couch, hoping to sleep, but I couldn't.

I laid there for another ten minutes eyes closed. I heard Ranger come in. I made it look like I was asleep. He came up around the couch quietly and kneeled in front of me. He knew I wasn't asleep.

"Can't sleep?"

"No, my head won't stop thinking," it was true, I kept thinking about the dead guy or Anna or Morelli. I kept feeling guilty about the kiss, but weren't we broken up, it didn't matter what I did.

"I'm going to bed, try and get some sleep," he told me and started walking into his room, all I could think about was no underwear.

I laid there for another five minutes or so and got up to get a drink. I walked into the kitchen and got myself a glass and then looked in the fridge. I picked out milk and poured some into the glass. I started drinking it and closed the door and only then did I notice Ranger standing there in his boxer shorts leaning against the kitchen counter.

"Go to sleep babe," he told me and kept standing there as I drank the rest of the milk. I walked over and put the glass next to the sink when I'd finished drinking. I started walking out of the kitchen when Ranger stopped me. "Try and get some sleep babe," and he started walking back into his room, again, why do the men in my life always leave first?

I walked back to the couch and realised I still couldn't sleep. The way I saw it I had two options, keep trying to go to sleep, or share a bed with Ranger, his pillow and sheets would help me sleep, not to mention I'd feel safe there.

I stood up and walked to Rangers door way and stood there for a second. I wasn't sure if he was asleep or not. I walked closer and he noticed me. He took one look at me and knew why I was there. "Hop in babe," he told me.

I walked over to the other side and crawled in. I got under the sheets and felt instantly better. Ranger was facing me and pulled me close, this I could deal with. Before I knew it I was wondering off to sleep, dreaming of Ranger.


End file.
